Renewable energy technology: a guide to the 5 most common sources of sustainable & alternative power

An introduction to alternative energy

There are many
reasons why people are interested in alternative or renewable sources
of energy at the moment.

The
first is the general, but not universal, consensus that increased
human activity is leading to larger volumes of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, and that therefore there is man-made global warming.
There are concerns that the climate change may be disadvantageous.

Even
those people who don’t accept that there is human cause for climate
change, there is an awareness of the urgent need to consider and
develop renewable sources of energy.

Fossil fuels are the main
source of power for humanity today, and they are a limited resource.
It is important to seek to develop sustainable long term
alternatives, before the oil and the coal run out or become too
expensive to be economically easily available.

Thirdly,
there is the increasing issue of energy security. A lot of energy
sources are located in countries which are politically or socially
volatile, and this leads to many western countries feeling that their
energy security is at risk.

Which
sources of renewable energy are suitable for any one area or country
depends largely upon the geography.

It’s not much use Switzerland getting excited about tidal power, nor is
someone in Iceland going to get much central heating in the winter
from solar panels on his roof.

This
article looks at 5 important sources of renewable energy, how they
work, how they are used, and both commercial and domestic ways of
harnessing natural renewable energy.

Wind Turbines in Cumbria, UK

Wind power

Wind
Energy is particularly important in Europe, with over half of
commercially generated electricity in the world being generated here.
The first commercial windfarm was built in Cornwall in the UK in
1991.

How Wind Power works

Wind
turbines generate electricity by harnessing the power of the wind.

Wind turbines are developed from traditional windmills, but are
different in appearance.

Wind turbines have either 2 or 3 blades,
which rotate around the top of a metal tower.

Wind passes over the
blades, which are curved in order to catch the wind. The blades are
therefore moved, and as they rotate, they turn a shaft which goes
into a gearbox inside the turbine.

The gearbox increases the
rotation speed, and feeds the power to the generator which uses
magnetic fields to convert rotational energy into electricity.

The
power and energy produced by a turbine can either go into a national
or local electricity grid, or in the case of micro turbines, be
connected to a home’s power supply.

Wind turbines and windfarmsA fantastic site which contains a large database of world-wide wind energy projects, and also pictures, facts, and links.

CRS report for CongressA detailed American report entitled, "Wind Power in the United States: Technology, Economic, and Policy Issues"

Commercial Wind Farms

In terms of commercial
windfarms, they can be located on land, or in the sea.

Offshore
windfarm have advantages, in that the wind is not interrupted by
buildings or hills, and there is also not alternative pressure on the
land, which other people might wish to build on or farm. The wind
tends to be more consistent offshore.

Building and maintaining
offshore wind turbines can be more expensive.

Wind Power around the world

In the UK, wind power
is now the largest source of renewable energy, contributing just
under 3% of the United Kingdom’s electricity. This is a figure
which is growing fast.

Wind
energy generates a considerably higher percentage of electricity in
other European countries. 19% of Denmark’s electricity is
generated by wind turbines, 11% in Portugal and in Spain, and 7% in
Germany and in Ireland.

The United States of America has the
greatest installed wind power capacity, but it is a low percentage of
total energy consumption. Only 0.4% of America’s electricity is
generated by wind turbines.

There is a controversy in some countries about the installation of
windfarms.

Some local communities don’t like them and planning
laws are used by some people to try to oppose the installation of
wind turbines either on a local domestic level, or in windfarms.

Half of all planning applications in England and Wales for wind
turbines are refused. Other people like them, personally I think
wind turbines have a majestic beauty, and the sight of them in motion
is extremely attractive.

Commercial Solar Power

Solar
energy can be used in order to cook or preserve food.This is not a
new technology, but dates back to the mid 18th century.

Modern solar cookers use panels, mirrors and dishes to focus light
onto the oven. These can be built and used on a large scale. The
biggest solar cooker in the world in Rajasthan in India can cook up
to 35,000 meals a day.

Solar panels can be used to convert the sun’s
energy into electricity. These can be installed in large-scale
electricity generation plants which contribute electricity to the
national grid.

The largest sun powered electricity generator in the
world is in Spain, and was built in October 2008.

There are also
large solar plants in Germany, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

About
90% of solar energy produced worldwide is connected to national grid
systems.

Solar powered electricty generation on a large scale in Waldpolenz, Germany. Photo courtesy of JUWI Group

Domestic solar power

Solar panels are also very suitable for micro
generation, and can be and are installed on many buildings in
countries where sunlight is suitable and reliable enough for it to be
useful.

As technology develops, solar power is increasingly cost
effective.

Solar panels can easily be installed on new
or existing domestic and commercial buildings, to contribute the cost
of running a house, air conditioning, heating water, or other
electricity needs.

Pelamis Wave Converter in Portugal

Tidal and wave power

Tidal
and wave energy are similar in that both come from the sea, but one
harnesses the regular and predictable tidal movement caused by the
moon’s gravitational pull, and the other the slightly less
predictable wave power generated by wind and storms.

Mills
to grind corn or pound wool have a very long history, by the Middle
Ages, they were frequently used in England and other parts of Western
Europe.

Neither wave nor tidal power are significant contributors at
present to renewable energy sources, but research and investigation
into both continues.

How tidal power works

There
are 2 main ways in which tidal power can be used and converted into
electricity.

A Tidal Screen installation makes use of the Kinetic
energy of the water pushed by the moon’s gravity to power
electricity generating turbines. This is a similar way of generating
electricity to that used by wind turbines.

The
second system used for tidal energy is a Barrage.

A Barrage is like
a dam across the whole of a tidal river, or estuary, and these are
not particularly popular at the moment. They produce a great deal of
energy, but they are very expensive to build and maintain, and there
are significant issues in relation to environmental impact, and
impact on shipping.

Tidal estuaries or rivers big enough to make it
worth installing a Barrage tend to be used by commercial ships and
also for leisure boating. Tidal Barrages are pretty incompatible
with either.

Because of the difficulties of building a permanent
Barrage on a tidal structure, where the banks of the river or estuary
are subject to water pressure and erosion, they are extremely
expensive to build, and also have very high maintenance costs.

There
is also a serious risk of Barrages affecting wildlife, in particular
fish. They are particularly unsuitable for rivers used by migrating
fish such as salmon.

The
construction of Barrages also affects the flow of the water in and
out of rivers, and the salinity of the river water is affected. This
can also have an effect on wildlife.

The
tidal streams systems are becoming more popular because they suffer
from fewer of the environmental drawbacks of Barrage systems, and
also use well researched technology similar to that used for
generating wind power.

There
is a large commercial tidal electricity generating Barrage on the
Rance River in France. It was installed in the mid-1960s, and has
produced electricity ever since.

Despite its search for alternative
energy sources, however, subsequent French governments have not
considered it worthwhile installing other such Barrages.

The 1849 grand plan for the Severn Barrage, complete with illustrations of happy ships.

The Tidal Barrage Proposal for the River Severn

A
tidal Barrage has long been considered for the River Severn in
England and Wales.

The Severn Estuary is a significant tidal
estuary, and would in many respects be suitable.

An example of the
estuary’s tidal power is the Severn Bore, a tidal bore during which
at high tides the rising tide water is funnelled up the estuary into
a wave. These occur several times a year but particularly in spring.

A number of people try to surf the Severn Bore, and while it
increases potential tide energy, it also presents drawbacks.

The
first proposal for Barrages on the River Severn started in the mid
19th century.

A proposal by Thomas Fulljames in 1849 was
to create a dam which would enable a railway bridge, flood
protection, and a large and safe port for ships to moor in.

The
tidal range in the Severn Estuary is vast, up to 52 feet at Spring
tides. This means that the difference between high tide and low tide
at its most extreme is 52 feet.

There have been lots of fairly
serious studies into the prospect of energy generation from a Severn
Barrage, there were 4 in the 1980s, and 3 more since then.

The
latest effort is a feasibility study, from the British Government,
which started in February 2008 and will last a couple of years.

The
Severn Estuary is a special area of conservation, because of its
unique ecology and wildlife habitats, and this creates extra
opposition to the Barrage.

How Wave Power Works

Wave
power is similar to tidal power, and is usually harnessed by devices similar to
buoys.

These allow a wave to pass through the centre of the buoy,
and use the energy to generate electricity.

The commercial use of wave power presents
considerable technical challenges.

Waves are not constant, nor do
they come in a constant direction. There is also a risk of strong
waves damaging a wave farm system.

There
are now some commercial wave farms.

The first was built in Portugal,
and opened mid 2008. A wave farm is also due to be built in
Scotland, and another one in Cornwall in England. The wave hub in
Cornwall is expected to power about 8,000 households and save 320,000
tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years.

The UK, North and South
America, South and Western Africa and Australasia are those countries
who are most likely to be able to use wave power efficiently to
generate electricity.

The site of the Hoover Dam before anything was built, taken in about 1900.

The dam as it is today, from the air.

Hydroelectric energy

Hydroelectricity
is one of the most common forms of renewable energy in the world. It
makes up about a 5th of world electricity production, but
is far from uncontroversial.

In
order to generate hydroelectric power, in most cases a large dam is
built across a river with significant potential energy. Water is
then used from behind the dam to drive a turbine and generate
electricity as it is released.

Hydroelectric
plants have a long commercial history compared with most renewable
energy.

They are relatively efficient, and although often expensive
to build, recoup the cost and energy laid out to build them fairly
swiftly after they come online.

They can also be used to create
large lakes and ponds, which change and diversify ecosystems. They
also allow agriculture to draw water for irrigation, and may help
control floods.

Many
environmentalists are, however, unhappy about hydroelectric dams.
They significantly alter the flow of the river, and affect ecosystems
and the salinity of water.

The areas flooded when building dams for
hydroelectricity can also upset a lot of people who are displaced.

The Hoover Dam

The
Hoover Dam is a good example of an early hydroelectric power station.
It was finished in 1936.

When it was built, nothing nearly as big
had ever been constructed from concrete, and that the engineers had
to make a great of the technology up as they went along.

It was also
dangerous, and about 120 people are thought to have died during the
construction.

The Dam has had a very serious impact on the Colorado
River Delta, where salinity has vastly increased as less water and
sediment comes down the river. Local and native species of fish have
also been very badly affected, and a number have been listed as
endangered.

Three Gorges Dam

When
it’s finished, in another 3 years or so time, it will be the
largest power station in the world. Some aspects are already
working, but the project as a whole is not yet finished.

It is
estimated by the United Nations that the Three Gorges Dam will reduce
coal consumption by about 34 million tonnes a year, causing the
emission of 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases less per year.

The Dam will also help control flooding, which is extremely
problematic on the river.

Altogether, approximately 1.3 million
people were forced to move, as their homes and farms would be covered
by the waters held back by the Dam.

There have also been significant
environmental consequences. As the river will carry much less silt
down the stream, there is a significant risk that the Yangtze Delta
will erode.

There is an also extremely serious issue in relation to
earthquake activity in the area. If the Dam were to break, the
consequences would be catastrophic.

Geothermal bore hole letting off steam in Reykjavik, Iceland

Geothermal energy

Geothermal
energy comes from heat stored within the Earth.

As a percentage of
worldwide electricity, it generates only 0.3%.

Where it is available
however it produces far more than this. In 2008, there were 8
countries which used geothermal sources to produce more than 15% of
their electricity, and top of the league is Iceland.

There are
several different ways of harnessing heat stored within the Earth.

The most common is known as Dry Steam Plant, which uses steam from
deep within the Earth to turn turbines and generate electricity.

The
second most common is a Flash Steam Plant, which uses heat within the
Earth to turn water into high pressure hot water and drive turbines.

The third most common, and the newest development, can use water or
other fluids with lower temperatures.

Geothermal energy in Iceland

In
2008, over 30% of Iceland’s electricity came from geothermal
energy. Iceland, being on a division between tectonic plates, has a
great deal of geological activity, and is highly suitable for
geothermal energy.

According to the Icelandic Energy Authority, 90%
of all housing in Iceland is powered by geothermal electricity, and
hot water supplied similarly.

Geothermal
energy in Iceland is so cheap and easily available, that in several
cities the roads and pavements are heated in the winter in order to
keep them free of snow and ice by geothermal energy.

Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

Steemjammer 5 years ago

Good stuff! Not to be picky, but "The first commercial windfarm was built in Cornwall in the UK in 1991" - you mean first in the UK, right? That's not the first in the world.

Like the info. As you say, a lot of ideas are shot down because they kill birds or mess up tidal areas (where lots of species breed). Some are shot down because of pure NIMBY (not in my back yard) or BANANA (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone). Almost nothing large scale is truly "environmentally friendly," leaving us with tough choices (even solar panels - stuff has to be mined and melted at high heat).

People are talking about ways to put windfarms up high in stronger winds (blimps, kites) and anchoring underwater turbines in the Gulf Steam and other strong ocean currents. Biofuels work in Brazil, when world oil prices are high (sugar cane = somewhat cheap ethanol). Corn ethanol, which is what we do in the USA, is a horrible idea (no net energy gain, may cause starvation by converting food to fuel and increasing world food prices - it's very political). Look to enzymes that convert wood and other cellulose to sugar and possibly butanol, not ethanol - lots of exciting work being done on this now.

Conservation, using less, is still the best. To be honest, it's a pain. A lot of my friends who think they're "green" drive gas hogs, run A/C indoors while heating their swimming pools - and so on! So hard to walk the walk.

My ancestors lived by candle or lamp light at night. They used firewood for cooking and warmth. They used horses to plow and travel. They grew most of their own food, except wheat, sugar and so on (most weren't in a good wheat area). This was in the USA, not that long ago. They worked all day long (well, not quite true - but they did work and do chores way more than I do!).

lime light power 7 years agofrom NY NY

Really impressive hub that goes into quite a bit of good detail on all the various technologies out there - kudos. I just wrote a hub on zoning for small wind turbines and I thought that it might be a good "value added" if I provided the link through for your readers here:

This hub is very interesting good job! I take an avid interest in alternative energy resources. I think wind energy could really help the U.S. and hopefully the U.S invests in responsible forms of energy soon.

shafqat tariavera 7 years ago

so i have a question on how to use it because i have this bike.

i understand how to turn it on and all, but once i turn it on i'm not sure how to actually start it. i pedal and press a button but the time doesn't start and the pedaling doesn't change. can u tell me how to do this? thank you ssoooo much

helene.bliss 7 years ago

Alternatives like solar power is a promising idea. I love the fact that it can help us save money from our electricity bills and it is also environment friendly. I hope many people would finally decide to use these great alternatives. Thanks for the great hub!

Author

LondonGirl 8 years agofrom London

Portugal is an example other countries should follow!

nightstalker 8 years ago

As a Portuguese I fill very proud that my small country (in size) is so many times refer in your hub. Is all true, but just a quick observation about the solar power plant. Is so expensive to maintain the solar power plant working that, for the moment is almost economically unviable. But the wave power is a real finding. Thanks for the very informative hub.

DIYsolarpanelss 8 years ago

nice article really informative, guess it made me think about alternate energy sources more than ever before. If anyone is interested tho i have been researching on

low budget home-built DIY solar panels feel free to check it out if anyone is interested.

I understand Denmark has a 180% tax on gas burner cars (on top of the basic 25% car sales tax) to encourage the use of their wind energy. This may explain the first? hybrid and all electric car collision happening in Denmark, pictures of the scene have circulated around the net.

Singular Investor 8 years agofrom Oxford

Hey LG - I just seen you ain't pubilshed a hub in five months - you gone away ?

Singular Investor 8 years agofrom Oxford

Hi LG - excellent hub - you don't do things by halves !

I've asked this question on another hub but I'll ask it here too and maybe I'll start a campaign.

My question is - Why don't they put solar panels on wind turbines ? Wind turbines stand out in the sun all day long, surely they could stick sone solar panels on the bit that doesn't move and get two sources of energy for the price of one? Seems nuts to me to build a whopping great tower and totally underuse its possibilities. But WTF do I know ?

Mauricio Rodriguez 8 years agofrom Bogota DC, Colombia

Great hub and the information is in chain so we can see all energy sources known by men on this times.

Even investingating we can reach more energy sources, 'cause energy can not be destroyed, it only transforms.

Perhaps we are destroying the resources to get them before we can use their power.

akihan 8 years ago

My personal point of view is wind generation is not an easy thing to DIY. Some places simply do not have enough wind.

Especially in urban conditions, it poses significant technical challenges due to persistent low wind speeds. I feel the resources can be better tapped doing something more effective like tapping solar instead.

skristoff 8 years agofrom Massachusetts

Great hub, lots of useful information!

view 8 years ago

Thanks for this useful hub on renewable energy. I have always been interested in natural sources of renewable energy. I hope to install a solar panel in next few months for my work.

view 8 years ago

Thanks for this useful hub on renewable energy. I have always been interested in natural sources of renewable energy. I hope to install a solar panel in next few months for my work.

doggy 8 years ago

hiya

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

That sounds great, and really exciting. Let me know if you do it?

Dave_d70 9 years ago

I have started thinking about building my own wind turbine and making my own solar panel out of individual solar cells. I love the outdoors and I love camping so it would really be cool if I could bring them with me there.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Thanks Dave - glad you found it interesting and useful.

Dave_d70 9 years ago

Very informative hub especially on those exotic renewable energy sources like wave power and tidal wave. Also, very interesting posts to read.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

Solar Lights 9 years ago

Your hub shows hard work of research. You trully traced where we came from, where we are and where we need to be in terms of energy source. This is our history! This is how far we were. Thanks. We welcome renewable energy with an open hand.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

DOlores, I agree, both the old and new windmills are lovely!

Lgali, glad you enjoyed it.

Lgali 9 years ago

LG-

Brilliant Hub and very reliable information I think you must have done lot of research on this article I think solar power is the best.

Dolores Monet 9 years agofrom East Coast, United States

When I was a kid, if you rode out into the country, there were old windmills everywhere for pumping well water. They were so lovely, but old and rickedy, have not seen one for years. The new wind turbines are so pretty too.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

yash, glad you found it interesting and useful

aniketgore - couldn't agree more!

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Thanks Rik, glad you enjoyed it!

Pam, the off-grid hub is still a-bubbling, sorry

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Mulberry, I couldn't agree more. I really like them, I think they are beautiful!

Mardi - I imagine Texas is a better bet for solar power than London is....

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi Christop - wave power in particular is in its infancy, but tidal power has been used commerically for some time, esp. in that French plant.

shamelabboush, I agree. We all have a hefty responsibility over our own energy use.

aniketgore 9 years agofrom India

very nice hub. We have planty of solar energy usable but we are lacking in it. I hope someday world will start using it. Thanks for such a great info.

yash24 9 years agofrom india

An Excellent hub about the energy and power. I thanks you for this hub.

pgrundy 9 years ago

Well done and so thorough--thank you! Add me to the list of people with an off-grid fantasy. Right now a wind turbine large enough to generate enough power for a household costs about $30,000, but a lot can be achieved through conservation and creative thinking. Electricity is our highest utility bill. We switched to a pellet stove last summer, so we don't burn oil or gas, but we do run a whole hosue fan to circulate the heat and it costs a fortune. So I'm researching that now--see how we can do better.

Rik Ravado 9 years agofrom England

Excellent review, well researched and very readable - Well Done LG!

Mardi Winder-Adams 9 years agofrom Western Canada and Texas

Excellent article Londongirl. There are lots of wind farms here in Texas and solar is definitely another option many are considering. I agree with mulberry1, the wind turbines are quiet, I have been at the base and hardly even registered them after a few minutes.

Christine Mulberry 9 years ago

Great information. The use of wind energy has picked up in my area in the past year. Hundreds were installed in the past 6-8 months within about 50 miles of my home. I know some people oppose them but I can't imagine why anyone would prefer to live near electrical power lines than a wind turbine. They are nearly silent and I seriously doubt they actually present any health hazard.

shamelabboush 9 years ago

Londongirl, this is very impressive and painful subject as we, human beings, still insist on polluting our planet. Someone eventually should've brought this issue especially the global warming to the open. Thanks

Christoph Reilly 9 years agofrom St. Louis

I am interested in developing alternative energy sources and so found this article interesting, detailed and thorough. i was unfamiliar with wave and tidal energy, so that was facinating to me. Thanks!

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Ethanol seems a different kettle of fish, to me, as it's not using what's just there (like wind or waves) but instead does involve consumption.

eovery 9 years agofrom MIddle of the Boondocks of Iowa

Nice Hub. These are cool technology I that I will be watching over the next few years. We have a lot of windmills going up here ia Iowa.

I am living in the middle of Ethanol alley, here in Iowa, what about Ethanol?

Londongirl-Thanks for the links to my blog - I did notice it and in fact sent you an email first.

Hi Aya. Looks like LondonGirl beat me to it with the idea of a page based on off-grid living so I will have to make a hub on the technical issues surrounding renewable energy. However, until I and her have created these pages feel free to contact myself with any specific questions you may have on off grid living.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

thanks JM - glad you enjoyed it

J Mockridge 9 years ago

Renewable energy is the only way forward for a sustainable energy source. Good hub.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi Am I Dead - glad you enjoyed it. What sort of energy were you looking into? All types, or one or two in particular?

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi Aya - that's my next hub! I'm writing and researching it at the moment.

Am I dead, yet? 9 years ago

Brilliant Hub and very reliable information. I had to do a report on renewable energy awhile ago for a team project. I have to say that it was not as informative as your Hub. I only wish you written this sooner, Our team would have been guaranteed an 'A'.

Aya Katz 9 years agofrom The Ozarks

LondonGirl, like Teresa, I, too, daydream about going completely off the grid. I've been trying to look into it, to find out how realistic it would be. How much of an investment would it require? Would I be able to generate a surplus, as well as meet my own energy needs? I have ten acres, so I could have lots of wind turbines and/or solar panels. But... so far storing excess energy captured on one day, to use for another day, does not sound feasible. Any thoughts about that?

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi CountryWoman - I agree, people want to stick their heads in the sand, I don't really understand why, though!

Jama, I don't either (-: My parents are trying to install wind turbines at their country place, but they need planning permission first.

Joanna McKenna 9 years agofrom Central Oklahoma

LG, a wonderful explanation of the different types of renewable energy. Reading this, I can't help but wonder why we fossil fuel at all!

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Thanks Brian! Glad you found it useful and interesting.

countrywomen 9 years agofrom Washington, USA

LondonGirl- Last year I was once having a discussion with one of my colleague about the negative effects of humans on the environment based on the movie I saw then by Al Gore and he was saying that it is "junk" science and it is made just to get people to invest more in green fuel (like corn) and other avenues for people to make money. I don't know why some people find it hard to digest that we are responsible to a certain extent and need to change our course as much as we can. Thumbs up for an excellent hub about the alternative power sources.

Brian Stephens 9 years agofrom Castelnaudary, France

One of my favorite subjects , a lot of people should take an interest in this subject and you have managed to put together a pretty good appraisal of a complex subject in fairly straightforward way. Nice piece of work.

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi TB - thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it

Author

LondonGirl 9 years agofrom London

Hi Teresa - dreams are both free and environmentally friendly....

BB, I have linked to your blog's RSS feed, see below. It's a great blog

Turtuga Blanku 9 years ago

Hi London Girl,

Keep on spreading the RE-info!

Turtuga Blanku

*Solar Power Music*

BristolBoy 9 years agofrom Bristol

Renewable energy is my speciality and this is a very good outlinine five of the best sources of renewable energy. I particularly like the way in which you have laid out this page, and described the five forms of energy in a way that is easy to understand and yet still quite technical and for this I congratulate you. This will be very useful to many people who have heard a bit about renewable energy but aren't sure exactly what 'renewable energy' means and what counts as renewable energy. Very well done.

Sheila 9 years agofrom The Other Bangor

I really would like to live off-grid and supply my own energy with solar and wind components. I've been fantasizing about it for months, now. The information here makes me day dream even more. . .

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)

Google AdSense Host API

This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Facebook Login

You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Maven

This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)

We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.

Conversion Tracking Pixels

We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.

Statistics

Author Google Analytics

This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)

Comscore

ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)

Amazon Tracking Pixel

Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)